Joyce Onwuka
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed emergency response team to Kogi State following the flooding of some communities in the state.
The team comprises of staff with specialization in search and rescue to provide technical support to the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other stakeholders in conducting rescue and evacuation operations, including assessments in the affected communities.
The Director General NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar said the Agency has also deployed mobile water purification equipment to help in providing emergency clean water for the impacted families.
Recall that NEMA had recently alerted states identified to be at risk of flooding to be prepared ahead of any eventuality. The Director General, NEMA while alerting the states also announced that the Agency had activated all its Zonal, Territorial and Operations offices and prepositioned critical equipment for timely response, search and rescue as well as evacuation of persons to safer higher grounds.
The frontline states identified to be at risk of the flooding were Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers and Kwara. With the activation and deployment, NEMA offices nationwide and technical officers will work with the relevant State Ministries, Departments and Agencies to establish Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) for coordination and activation of local actors for the emergency response. These will include advocacy to communities at risk, evacuation planning, identification of safe high ground for temporary shelters and prepositioning of equipment for evacuation and rescue. Sector leads have also been alerted to provide priority needs to the impacted persons in the event of displacement of persons into Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and other safer locations.
Furthermore, NEMA is coordinating with the Military Disaster Response Units (DRU), Nigeria Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) to deploy their Disaster Response personnel, Police Marine and Disaster Management Units operatives respectively where necessary and the Nigerian Red Cross Society to also activate its volunteers.
The Director General NEMA advises residents in flood-prone areas, especially communities along Rivers Benue and Niger to remain vigilant and cooperate with emergency service providers as the Agency continues to monitor the situation closely.